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Stuttgart engineers are putting the years of cost-cut me-too Benzes behind them. Ditto the endless distractions of the Chrysler affair. The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class represents Daimler’s contrition for those sins. Like the recent C and S, the new E-Class is a return-path to what people always loved Mercedes for: a solid, safe, comfortable, conservative car in which you can invest utter faith.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been progress — it’s clearly part of the new design generation. The E posts impressive economy and performance numbers thanks to careful weight reduction, low aero drag, and powertrain improvements. It inherits a panoply of fancy driver-assist systems from the S-Class. But overall, the impression is that nothing has been done to upset the solid evolution and granite-like quality.

The design sits somewhere between crisp and boxy, with a bluff front end desperate (almost too desperate) to imply status. The flank design is pleasing, with good sculpture and, in the fairing behind the rear wheelhouse, a sly reference to its ancestor the 1953 “ponton” Mercedes. The look is a bit busy, but there’s lots of surface detail and it’s hardly boring. And the aero performance is superb, with a Cd of just 0.28.

Inside, the instrument binnacle is equally bluff, and the switchgear and surfaces feel like they’re built for the end of time. All models get a high-mounted center ICE/Navigation screen with superb control logic and graphics. The cars we drove featured poly-adjustable

heated and cooled massaging seats, but the normal chairs are also shaped for a perfect long-distance driving position. Rear head-and legroom are carefully planned for this car’s pivotal role in the German taxi trade.

The bodyshell uses high-strength steel to produce better crash results than ever without adding weight. Indeed, the shell is optimized for the V-6 models: The V-8 and AMG editions get reinforcements, so that the base-engine cars aren’t unnecessarily heavy. To protect pedestrians who stray into its path, the rear of the hood pops up on impact to give their heads a cushioned landing.

A switch to a three-link front suspension improves crash performance, though it required a lot of development driving to ensure the dynamics weren’t compromised compared with the more complex previous design. The new suspension also improves component commonality with the C-Class. In fact, Mercedes engineers no longer talk of the C and E being separate platforms.

On the active safety side, a bundled option is radar cruise control with collision mitigation. If the driver neglects to react to a closing gap ahead, it will sound a warning, then tighten the seatbelts, next tap the brakes, and finally, if the driver still remains unresponsive once it deems a crash inevitable, apply the brakes fully. “The electronic crumple zone,” Mercedes calls it. There’s also a night-vision option, lane-change blind-spot warning, lane-keeping assist, and, as standard, a drowsiness sensor.

Mercedes says a quarter of the worst accidents are caused by drivers falling asleep. The new system monitors steering and accelerator input among other factors and, if the driver’s style begins to change in ways Benz research has shown are indicative of overtiredness, a warning sounds and a steaming cup is displayed on the dashboard. Inexplicably, Mercedes has failed to name the system CoffeeTRONIC.

Base engine for the U.S. is the 3.5-liter direct-injection gas 350CGI. This makes 268 horsepower and hits 62 mph from rest in 6.3 seconds and achieves 28 mpg on the European mandatory test. Low-resistance tires, variable radiator blanking, as well as the low body mass and drag, all contribute to the fine economy numbers.

It’s quiet in normal driving, but it’s not a motor that relishes working hard. In the upper-mid rev band there are quantities of drab, tingly noise, and it doesn’t rev especially freely. The seven-speed autobox, with column selector and plus/minus paddles, isn’t responsive either, and despite the number of ratios still has a big gap between second and third that makes the powertrain feel clunky in tight twisting road sections.

The 5.5-liter 382-horse V-8 in the E500 is nicer by far to use, woofly and muscular at low revs, and happy to be taken by the scruff of the neck for a real power workout. This one cracks 0-to-62 in 5.3 seconds, and that’s traction-limited: Mercedes claims 4.7 for the 4Matic. But driving it out of tight corners, at least in the dry, you seldom feel a want of traction. Watch for a Bluetec clean diesel version in early 2010.

The chassis comes in two flavors. The coil-spring layout has Mercedes’ patented stroke-dependent damping, an all-mechanical system. Optional leveling air springs come with electronically controlled dampers. The air system is standard on the V-8 and does an excellent job. The ride is properly plush if you hit the comfort button and still pretty sweet if you hit sport, which moves the adaptive thresholds a little toward the liveliness direction. The steering is superbly accurate and never nervous and imparts just enough road feel to give you confidence. Mid-bend, the E is well-balanced and manages to feel like it’s on a shorter wheelbase. But add excess g-loads and it’s super-safe understeer all the way. This isn’t trying to be a 5 Series.

The mechanical chassis option is very nearly as good. Neither ride nor handling suffer much, especially if you go for the higher-geared rack that’s standard on the V-8. The mechanical dampers remain plush on short strokes, then stiffen up on longer suspension excursions to keep body movements in check. Okay, the body control isn’t as strong-willed as with the air system, but it seldom slows you down.

There’s clearly a sound base here for AMG to work on. Its manic 525-horsepower E63 will appear at the New York auto show in April.

The E range is also to be widened by the new E coupe, as seen at the Geneva salon in March, and 2010’s matching cabrio, the larger replacements for the CLK. There will also be an E wagon later this year and AWD variants.

The E has a wide range because it’s at the heart of the Mercedes business. Quite right then that it feels so like a Benz. You might take issue with the V-6 powertrain refinement — it looks like the price you pay for such clean, efficient combustion — but in other ways this is an utterly respectable sedan. Now, about that AMG model…

2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class News and Reviews

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